Hundreds Rally For Property Tax Reform.

Ed Transue's Family ... ... has farmed the same plot of land in Dallas Township, Luzerne County, since 1847. He's retired now. And he and his wife sell farm products and baked goods to make some extra money. He says he fears that high school property taxes will force him off his land.

"I'm not a farmer anymore, I'm a serf," said Transue, one of several people who spoke at a packed Capitol rally this morning on behalf of a bill that would eliminate local property taxes in favor of an expanded sales tax and other levies.

"We have a Republican House and Republican Senate and a Republican governor," said Rep. Jim Cox, R-Berks, who's sponsoring a House version of the bill he's christened the "Property Tax Independence Act. "It's time to hold their feet to the fire."

The crowd of several hundred people -- most of them white, male and retired --- waved signs that read "If you're not angry, you're not paying taxes," and "No tax should have the power to leave you homeless."

Such efforts are hardly new. Bills that would eliminate or reform Pennsylvania's local property tax system have been kicking around for more than a decade. Several have come to a vote in the House and the Senate, but none have ever made it as far as a governor's desk.

Backers said this morning that they're hopeful that unified Republican control of state government will change that. They also say they believe that, unlike past bills, which would have tweaked property taxes, that a complete elimination of the levy might be more politically palatable.

Cox's proposal, now before the House Finance Committee, would replace the estimated $12.5 billion a year raised by the property tax with an expanded state sales tax. Cox's bill calls for imposing the sales tax on clothing items that cost more than $50 and some food and grocery products. That would raise $4.6 billion.

The bill also calls for increasing the sales tax on the sale of goods and services from the current 6 percent to 7 percent, raising $1.5 billion. The $750 million in casino proceeds now earmarked for property tax relief would be used. And Cox's bill calls for raising the state's personal income tax from the current 3.07 percent to as much as 4.02 percent, depending on the revenue needed to reach $12.5 billion.

State Sen. David Argall, R-Schuylkill. a sponsor of a companion Senate bill, dismissed the current levy as "stupid" and said "it probably made sense in the 1800s," but does not now.

"We tried to reform it. That didn't work," Argall said. "We tried to tweak it. That didn't work. We have to eliminate it for all time."

Terry Sinclair, a former Berks County deputy sheriff, who also spoke, told the crowd of sign-waving supporters that he'd been "ashamed" to serve foreclosure notices as a part of his job. But he said, like any soldier, he'd been following orders.

Overflowing crowd, of fed up taxpayers, attended Pennsylvania Independence Act [HB1776 & SB1400] Rally, today, in the rotunda of our state capitol building, in Harrisburg, Pa.! ............ Contact your state representatives and senators via www.congress.org and tell them, IF they do NOT vote for these bills, they are forcing homeowners out of their "American Dreams"; destroying families; sending property owners to the poorhouse. .......... You know who you are, Rep. Mike Carroll [of the 118th district, for instance].

If you own a home in Pennsylvania, 25% of your entire property tax bill, every year, goes to help pay for your fire company, library, mass transit bus service, and your county. The remaining 75% [several thousand dollars, on average] goes straight into the hands of your local school board, to pay for the operation of running your school district. ....................... 67 Pennsylvania Representatives have co-sponsored a bill to eliminate that 75% of your annual property tax bill. ........... So, watch this video and read what you can at http://www.PTCC.us/ and then, contact your representatives and senators via http://www.congress.org/ and tell them, to vote for HB1776 & SB1400 because, without YOUR HELP, the rest of our lawmakers will NOT help you keep your house !! ........... Remember - No tax should leave you homeless!!

If you own a home in Pennsylvania, 25% of your entire property tax bill, every year, goes to help pay for your fire company, library, mass transit bus service, and your county. The remaining 75% [several thousand dollars, on average] goes straight into the hands of your local school board, to pay for the operation of running your school district. ....................... 67 Pennsylvania Representatives have co-sponsored a bill to eliminate that 75% of your annual property tax bill. ........... So, watch this video and read what you can at http://www.PTCC.us/ and then, contact your representatives and senators via http://www.congress.org/ and tell them, to vote for HB1776 & SB1400 because, without YOUR HELP, the rest of our lawmakers will NOT help you keep your house !! ........... Remember - No tax should leave you homeless!!

"Other Measures Went Nowhere" - Thirty Freak'in Years Ago - So, what should millions of property owners do, accept that AFTER we faithfully pay our mortgages off, we're going to be left homeless IF we can't pay an average $500./month "rent" to the county tax collector for the rest of our lives? Some people are #sheep - Not me! - I've worked too hard, for too long, to just sit around while the self-centered, back-stabbing, lawmakers that refuse to stand up and be counted as supporters of HB1776 and/or SB1400 - watch so many thousands of my neighbors' homes get ceased by the State of Pennsylvania for non-payment of property taxes.............................................................. "The Money" to fund our schools DOES have to come from "Somewhere" however, educate yourself about this issue by reading what you can at PTCC.us & then, tell your government to vote to eliminate our School Property Tax via congress.org